Li Chengqian of the Tang Dynasty: Please say long live His Majesty

Chapter 696 Kim Chunchu Dies, Silla Kingdom Destroyed (First Update)
The vast plains were just beginning to be ravaged by war.

Countless broken flags and spears were randomly stuck in the ground.

Corpses lay scattered haphazardly on the ground.

Blood flowed from the corpse, then gathered into a stream, flowing endlessly in a northwest direction.

Countless soldiers around were coldly examining the corpses with their spears in hand.

If they saw someone who wasn't dead, they would stab them to death with a spear.

With a "hiss," a dozen warhorses galloped in from afar.

Leading the group was a general in red robes and gold armor, with a diagonal scar on his face and indifferent eyes. He quickly arrived at the foot of the banner.

Although the general dismounted and bowed to Su Dingfang under the banner, he said, "This humble general, Fang Yi'ai, greets the Great General. This humble general has captured King Kim Chun-chu of Silla."

Su Dingfang suddenly looked at Jin Chunqiu, who was lying on Fang Yi'ai's warhorse, wearing fish scale armor and a black cloak, and was thrown off the warhorse by Fang Yi'ai.

With a thud, Jin Chunqiu knelt down on the ground, his face filled with grief, and he remained silent.

Su Dingfang spurred his horse forward slightly, looked at Jin Chunqiu, and said indifferently, "Raise your head."

With a clang, Fang Yi'ai drew his longsword, the cold blade instantly landing on Jin Chunqiu's neck: "Look up and speak... Your life or death is not important. His Majesty never said he would send you to Chang'an."

If Jin Chunqiu didn't even have the right to go to Chang'an, then he had no choice but to die.

Jin Chunqiu finally looked up, his gaze fixed on Su Dingfang, and asked through gritted teeth, "Why? Why?"

"Are you asking why the Tang Dynasty intervened in the war between Silla and Tibet?" Su Dingfang looked up calmly and asked, "From the moment the Silla soldiers stormed into Pyeongnam Castle, everything was already destined."

"I don't understand!" Jin Chunqiu looked up, his face grim.

“Silla’s invasion of Pyeongnam shows that Silla has the ambition to unify the three kingdoms of the Eastern Islands. In the whole world, only the Tang Dynasty has the right to do so, while Silla does not.” Su Dingfang looked at Kim Chun-chu and shook his head, saying, “Anyone with such ambitions is bound to die.”

"The Great Tang..." Jin Chunqiu lowered his head slightly and asked, "What exactly does the Great Tang want?"

“The Tang Dynasty will not be affected.” Su Dingfang shook his head calmly and said, “I am here now. The Tang army has stopped marching. What remains is the Goguryeo people who are invading Silla. As for whether they will march all the way to the Silla capital and break through it, that is not the Tang Dynasty’s concern.”

"Nonsense." Jin Chunqiu suddenly looked up and gritted his teeth, saying, "I saw Xue Wanche mixed in with the Goguryeo army and marching towards Silla."

Su Dingfang gave Jin Chunqiu a deep look and sighed, "Why did you have to say such a thing?"

Jin Chunqiu was stunned for a moment, and the next moment, the cold blade had already sliced ​​open his throat.

Amidst the intense pain, Jin Chunqiu slowly collapsed, his bloodshot eyes revealing his astonishment.

Under the gloomy sky, Su Dingfang urged his horse forward slightly and then stepped directly over Jin Chunqiu.

“The fact that the Silla soldiers dared to storm Pyongyang and charge the Daedong River shows that you have no respect for the Tang Dynasty.” Su Dingfang walked slowly forward and said, “Many years ago, Liu Rengui saw this. Your ambitions are too great… or rather, the ambitions of the three kingdoms of the Eastern Islands are all great, and this is something the Tang Dynasty cannot tolerate.”

"In the entire world, only one person can rule the Three Kingdoms." Fang Yi'ai bowed and said, "It is His Majesty, it is the Great Tang."

“That’s right.” Su Dingfang nodded, looked around, and said, “His Majesty has given the order that the Tang Dynasty controls Silla and governs three other regions. Therefore, the entire border between Silla and Goguryeo will be occupied by the Tang Dynasty.”

"Yes!" Fang Yi'ai's expression turned solemn, and he sighed inwardly: How ruthless.

Now, the main force of Goguryeo has invaded Silla, and both its logistics and its return journey are under the control of the Tang Dynasty.

"Send a message to Chang'an: Jin Chunqiu is dead, and the army has invaded Silla." Su Dingfang looked at Fang Yi'ai and said, "Remember, use a secret message."

“Yes!” Fang Yi’ai bowed respectfully.

……

Chang'an, in front of the Liangyi Hall.

The moonlight fell on the empty square in front of the palace.

In the distance, the city of Chang'an twinkled with lights, a scene of tranquility.

Li Chengqian sat behind the table, looking to both sides. To his left sat Prince Han, Li Yuanchang, and to his right sat Prince Ji, Li Shen.

On the table in front of each person were fine wines and delicious food.

Li Chengqian handed the memorial in his hand to Li Yuanchang and calmly said, "The army has already entered Silla. Eighty thousand Silla soldiers died in Goguryeo. In addition, Kim Chunchu is dead. The destruction of Silla is a foregone conclusion."

"Kim Chunchu is dead?" Li Yuanchang was taken aback, then came to his senses and said, "I saw him when he came to Chang'an some years ago. If I remember correctly, it was after Queen Seondeok or Queen Jindeok passed away?"

"He came when Queen Seondeok and Queen Jindeok passed away." Li Chengqian shook his head slightly and said, "The reason I made up my mind to take action against Silla is because there were problems with the deaths of Queen Seondeok and Queen Jindeok."

"What?" Li Yuanchang looked up abruptly.

“The most important thing is Queen Zhende.” Li Chengqian looked at Li Shen to the side and asked, “Shilang, do you remember when Queen Zhende passed away?”

Li Shen thought for a moment and said, "It was after the Tang Dynasty destroyed Pingrang."

“Yes, the Tang Dynasty had just conquered Pyeongnam when Queen Jindeok passed away.” Li Chengqian shook his head slightly, then continued, “Actually, you don’t know that after Queen Seondeok’s death, the power of Silla gradually shifted into the hands of Kim Chunchu. Queen Jindeok was merely a puppet. Once Pyeongnam fell…”

“The threat from Goguryeo is gone. They no longer need the Tang Dynasty, and naturally, they no longer need Queen Jinde.” Li Yuanchang’s lips twitched slightly.

“Jin Chunqiu couldn’t hold back any longer.” Li Chengqian shook his head slightly and sighed, “If Queen Zhende were still alive, things would be better.”

Li Yuanchang lowered his head slightly. The reason why the Tang Dynasty and Silla had a friendly relationship was, on the one hand, due to the needs of the overall strategic situation. Both the Tang Dynasty and Silla needed to restrain Goguryeo to reduce their own pressure. If Goguryeo weakened, the strategic relationship would be lost. On the other hand, it was due to the special relationship between Queen Jindeok and Queen Seondeok and the Tang Dynasty.

In their early years, Queen Jindeok and Queen Seondeok visited Chang'an and stayed at the palace for a period of time...

The people of Tang Dynasty naturally thought it was a romantic tale, but in Silla, it might be considered a disgrace. So when the relationship between the two sides weakened, Silla was unwilling to accept it.

Therefore, Queen Jinde died shortly after the fall of Pyeongnam Castle.

“Silla has the ambition to unify the three kingdoms. What they hope for most is that the Tang Dynasty will destroy Goguryeo and Baekje, and then Silla will unify the three kingdoms.” Li Chengqian chuckled coldly and said, “Liu Rengui had already keenly sensed this when he went to Silla back then.”

Li Yuanchang and Li Shen both became solemn at the same time.

Why should we give away the territory that the Tang Dynasty conquered to others?

All Silla people deserve to die.

“I started making preparations from that time on.” Li Chengqian waved his hand and said, “Alright, let’s not talk about that anymore. I called Uncle Wang and Shilang here today because there is something I need to discuss.”

Li Chengqian raised his wine cup, and Li Yuanchang and Li Shen bowed and raised their cups at the same time.

After drinking a cup of wine, Li Chengqian finally spoke: "The fall of Silla is imminent, and once Silla falls, Baekje will also fall. I need someone to go to the front lines to appease and reward the soldiers."

"Your Majesty!" Li Yuanchang and Li Shen bowed simultaneously.

Li Chengqian waved his hand and said, "That's only one reason. Secondly, since the three kingdoms of Dongdao have been destroyed, the fields and mines of the Great Tang will be incorporated into the Great Tang. The Imperial Household Department will take a portion of them, and the rest will lead to a large influx of powerful families into Dongdao."

Before that, I need members of the imperial clan to enter the Eastern Island ahead of time. Some fertile lands, besides mine and meritorious soldiers, should first be granted to members of the imperial clan to balance the power of the powerful families.

After the three kingdoms of Dongdao were destroyed, the court needed to quickly assess the interests involved. Li Chengqian, the representative of the Shaofu Association, took the lead in appropriating a portion, followed by the Ministry of Revenue and soldiers with military merits, then a large number of aristocratic families, and finally the imperial clan. However, in order to prevent the aristocratic families from becoming too deeply involved in Dongdao, Li Chengqian needed the imperial clan to intervene in advance to provide checks and balances.

Just as the Three Kingdoms were about to be destroyed, he was able to send people ahead of time to reward the soldiers, so he allowed the royal family to take a portion of the benefits.

After all, the imperial clan had taken over the local interests, which Li Chengqian could easily reclaim, but it would be difficult to take back the land from the powerful families.

Dongdao played a significant role in Li Chengqian's efforts to divert attention from the conflicts across the country.

"Is Your Majesty afraid that once the powerful families occupy the Eastern Island, they will become a scourge?" Li Shen seemed to understand.

"I only hope that Dongdao can remain a new source of tax revenue for the Tang Dynasty for a longer period of time. As for the unrest on Dongdao," Li Chengqian shook his head slightly and said, "Even if something unexpected happens in the end, I can simply send people to seal off Yangzhou, Dengzhou, Pingzhou, and Liaozhou. Even if those aristocratic families cause chaos on Dongdao, I will not care." Li Yuanchang and Li Shen suddenly felt a chill run down their spines.

Based on their understanding of the emperor, they knew he had enough power to control the core lifeline of the three kingdoms of the Eastern Islands. Once the connection between the Eastern Islands and the Tang Dynasty was severed, all that would remain was chaos and bloodshed within the Eastern Islands themselves.

Once they've killed enough, the court will send people to clean up the mess.

This makes things much easier; all you need to do is kill them.

This is very emperor-like.

This is the way an emperor should act.

“Of course, I do not wish for chaos to break out on the Eastern Island.” Li Chengqian shook his head and said, “The Eastern Island can continuously accommodate the new population of the Tang Dynasty, while also attracting the attention of powerful families, preventing them from encroaching on land throughout the land. At the same time, when I conduct a strict investigation, powerful families will also back down a bit because of the interests of the Eastern Island. Only in this way can the world be peaceful and just.”

"Your Majesty is wise." Li Yuanchang and Li Shen bowed simultaneously.

"Alright, let's not talk about this anymore. Governing Dongdao is a long-term matter. It's not something that I can solve by talking about it here. It requires careful handling of every single issue." Li Chengqian looked at Li Yuanchang and Li Shen and asked, "Who will go to Dongdao?"

"Your Majesty, go." Li Yuanchang raised his head slightly and looked at Li Chengqian, saying, "After all, I am older and can handle things more tactfully. Besides, Su Xu and Xue Wanche are my brothers-in-law, so I still have some influence over there."

Acting on behalf of the emperor on eastern tours inherently carries authority, and good relations with local officials can facilitate the resolution of issues.

As for other matters, Li Yuanchang can be even more ruthless at crucial moments.

“Let’s do it this way.” Li Chengqian nodded and said, “Uncle, make sure to communicate with the various princely mansions before the New Year. Remember, keep it a secret. Only the princely mansions, not the princess’s mansion. Just help her find a place to stay first, so that the news doesn’t get into the aristocratic families. We need to be one step ahead of them.”

"Your subject understands." Li Yuanchang nodded earnestly.

"Come and drink!"

"Your Majesty!"

……

Under the moonlight, the imperial carriage moved slowly along the palace road.

Li Chengqian sat on the imperial carriage, calmly contemplating.

His fundamental purpose in bringing the royal family into the picture was to gain control.

From the perspective of civil officials, removing all influence from the imperial power and the imperial clan is the best way to achieve peace and prosperity for the people.

But that was nothing more than a rhetoric used by aristocratic families to manipulate imperial power through their civil officials.

How many truly enlightened civil officials are there in the world?

Therefore, the best way to govern the three kingdoms of the Eastern Islands is to rely on the royal family, military merits, trusted ministers, aristocratic clans, and immigrants.

"Dongdao is too big!" Li Chengqian couldn't help but sigh. Goguryeo, Silla, and Baekje together had a population of nearly three million. If a stable ruling branch could not be established, Dongdao would eventually be driven out by all the power of the Tang Dynasty, even without the Tang Dynasty in chaos.

Li Chengqian raised his head slightly.

The night sky is clear with a bright moon and few stars, which brings a sense of peace to one's heart.

……

The north wind was biting cold.

In the southeast of Dongdao, amidst the vast mountains and wilderness, the Silla Kingdom had lasted for over a hundred years, but this was the first time its capital had been attacked.

The fighting inside and outside Jincheng had lasted for a whole month. Tens of thousands of Goguryeo troops besieged the city, trying to find weaknesses in the city from all sides, but the Silla people still managed to hold them off with their lives.

Finally, the Goguryeo people were exhausted.

However, on this very day, countless cavalrymen in black armor appeared beneath the walls of Jincheng.

A procession of Tang Dynasty military banners, black with red borders and embroidered with white tiger heads, led the way, followed by a large black banner appearing beneath the city walls.

Throughout the entire city of Jin, everyone was plunged into endless despair.

Su Dingfang slowly drove up to the black banner from behind. Then, a bare-chested Tang cavalryman, with a white silk cloth in his mouth, rode his horse toward Jincheng and finally sat in a hanging basket as they slowly entered the city.

The Tang army quickly set up camp below Jincheng and prepared to attack the city.

The next day, at dawn, the sun shone brightly.

After being besieged for a full month, Jincheng finally opened its city gates completely.

Countless Tang cavalrymen pushed aside the exhausted Goguryeo soldiers and firmly occupied both sides of the city gate.

"General." Kim Beop-min led all the men and women of the royal family to kneel outside the city gate, and then presented the Silla royal seal with a sorrowful expression.

Su Dingfang calmly waved his hand, and Fang Yi'ai stepped forward, took the royal seal directly, and handed it to Su Dingfang.

Su Dingfang glanced at Jin Famin indifferently and said, "You made the right choice. If the Tang Dynasty had invaded Jincheng, probably not many people would have survived. But now, the Silla Kingdom has been destroyed, but you can preserve Jincheng. And you will become the first governor of the Qingshan Governor's Office of the Tang Dynasty, protecting the people in a different way."

"Yes!" Jin Famin's face was grim, but he still kowtowed deeply.

Su Dingfang continued, "Besides your wife and children, your brothers and sisters, and their families, all of you will be sent to Chang'an."

"Yes!" Kim Beom-min's expression changed, but he nodded weakly.

"You will be the governor of Qingshan Prefecture, and Fang Yi'ai will be the chief secretary of Qingshan Prefecture." Su Dingfang glanced at Fang Yi'ai from the side.

Fang Yi'ai was taken aback, then cupped his hands and said, "This humble general's order."

"Hmm!" Su Dingfang waved his hand slightly, and the next moment, the Tang soldiers of the Great Tang Dynasty entered Jincheng in an orderly manner.

Jincheng, and the entire Silla, will belong to the Tang Dynasty, and all its wealth will be moved to the Tang Dynasty.

"General!" Quan Nansheng stepped forward with a slightly unpleasant expression, cupping his hands in greeting, "My brothers..."

Su Dingfang waved his hand and said, "What's there to rob in a barren Silla? Tell them to prepare their army for three days, and then you will lead the troops to attack Baekje. All the wealth and women in the cities you capture along the way are yours."

"Yes!" Izumi bowed forcefully and returned to his subordinates.

Soon, cheers rang out from all directions.

What is Silla compared to Baekje, whose wealth far exceeds that of Silla by more than three times?

"General!" Xue Wanche walked up from behind, looking at Su Dingfang with some surprise.

Su Dingfang turned slightly to the side and said indifferently, "These people have been attacking the capital of Silla for so long. It won't be so easy for them to attack Baekje. Let's wear them down and weaken Baekje's strength before we launch a full-scale attack."

"Yes!" Xue Wanche cupped his hands in greeting, then cautiously asked, "Is it really a good idea for us to just charge in like this?"

"Of course we won't attack directly, but after the Goguryeo people destroy the capital of Silla, they will lead their troops eastward, while the Tang Dynasty will gradually deploy its troops on the border between Goguryeo and Baekje. Do you think the Tang Dynasty will make the first move, or Baekje will make the first move?"

“Baekje!” Xue Wanche nodded with certainty.

“Remember this.” Su Dingfang took a deep breath and said, “It was never the Tang Dynasty that destroyed Silla, but Goguryeo. It was never the Tang Dynasty that destroyed Baekje, but Goguryeo. It was only after the war that Goguryeo was unable to bear the burden of governing Dongdao, so it offered the entire Dongdao to the Tang Dynasty and to Your Majesty!”

Xue Wanche's lips trembled slightly, and he was unsure what to say for a moment.

Does anyone actually believe such nonsense?
“With the Tang army strong, countless people will naturally stand up for the Tang and declare its legitimacy rightful.” Su Dingfang urged his horse forward slightly and said, “Let’s go. Fang Yi’ai will lead his men to conquer every city of Silla, while you will lead your troops to attack from the north. Liu Rengui and Liu Demin have already set sail from the sea. Unifying the Eastern Island is just around the corner. Don’t keep His Majesty waiting any longer.”

"Yes!" Xue Wanche's expression hardened, and he rode off to chase after Su Dingfang.

(End of this chapter)